Texting While Driving Ban Passes Fla. Senate

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) –A ban on texting while driving in the state of Florida is another step closer to becoming reality.

Tuesday, the Senate unanimously approved a bill (SB 52) that would make texting while driving a secondary offense. That means police have to first stop drivers for an offense like speeding.

A first violation would be a $30 fine plus court costs and would be a non-moving violation. A second or subsequent violation within five years would add three points to the driver’s license and a $60 fine.

The ban includes typing a text or reading a text while driving. It also includes tablet computers and mobile phones. It would exclude using a “talk-to-text” feature and allows texting while stopped at a red light.

Republican Sen. Nancy Detert said this is the fourth year she has sponsored a texting ban bill and that Florida is now one of only five states without a ban.

Detert told senators the bill will save lives, adding, “It’s become an epidemic. It needs to stop and this is the way to stop it.”